5 h. ago Dan Sheehan goes from ‘despising’ Ellis Genge to loving ‘funny bloke’ Lions prop

Sheehan and Genge have joined forces on the 10-fixture expedition Down Under.

Politics

5 h. ago ‘Ellis Genge? You go from despising people to having coffee’: Dan Sheehan on Lions magic

Irish hooker on forging alliances with sworn enemies and the challenge of getting ‘four different nations connected’The best way to sum up the unique dynamic of a British & Irish Lions tour is to consult a player experiencing it for the first time. “It’s mad how fast you can go from despising people to hanging around to go for a coffee with them,” says Ireland’s straight-talking hooker Dan Sheehan, admitting he had not been expecting to bond instantly with his new English mate Ellis Genge. “He’s definitely someone that surprises you that he’s not a dickhead.”Welcome to the psychological maze that is the first week of a Lions tour on the other side of the world. Dealing with jet lag is the easy part. Even for top players like the 26-year-old Sheehan, a probable Test starter, the need to rub shoulders – often literally – with previously sworn enemies and forging unlikely alliances is a challenge in itself. “Genge would be a good one. He’s obviously a passionate, animated player fo...

Politics

8 h. ago The totally different Lions team Andy Farrell is now likely to pick

The British and Irish Lions landed in Australia earlier this week as their tour Down Under begins properly

Politics

12 h. ago Australia issues robust Lions response as demand to release star players for tour games rejected

Joe Schmidt hits back over claims he is contractually obliged to release players

Sport

12 h. ago Joe Schmidt hits back at British and Irish Lions over demands to release Australia stars for tour games

Wallabies coach standing his ground after Lions CEO Ben Calveley warning as war of words escalates before first tour match

Events

12 h. ago The Breakdown | Next Gen Wallabies sense Farrell’s Lions are there for the taking

Australia coach Joe Schmidt has lifted team from lowest ebb and made a country feel it can win againAustralian rugby liked what it saw – and didn’t see – last week, as the British & Irish Lions got their 2025 tour off to a losing start against Argentina. Sure, it was the opening game of a 10-match odyssey and Andy Farrell’s men were lacking cohesion after only two weeks in camp. But for a young Wallabies side rising fast under their head coach, Joe Schmidt, it put blood in the water and proved the tourists are very beatable.Schmidt’s 6-7 record in his first season in charge of the Wallabies might not cost Lions fans much sleep but Farrell, his former second‑in‑command at Ireland, will sniff the seeds of ambush. In their last start in November, the Wallabies led Ireland 13-5 only to lose 22-19. Schmidt won’t let that happen again. The 2025 Wallabies these Lions face are light years from the lambs Eddie Jones led to slaughter at the 2023 World Cup in France. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago Joe Schmidt rejects Lions demands to release Australia stars for tour games

Wallabies coach says agreement is not to release all playersSchmidt highlights clash between Waratahs and Fiji gamesThe Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has hit back at the British and Irish Lions management, insisting Australia are adhering to the tour agreement regarding the release of international players for pre-Test games and that his front-line home players were only unavailable because they were preparing to face Fiji on Sunday week.The issue has flared up again this week after the Lions chief executive, Ben Calveley, said he expected Schmidt to release Wallaby players back to their Super Rugby franchises for their respective games against the touring team. Some fringe Wallabies are due to feature for Western Force this Saturday but it is set to be a different story for the subsequent games against the Reds, the Waratahs and the Brumbies. Continue reading...

Politics

14 h. ago Wallabies coach hits back at Lions as breach of contract row ramps up

The first week in Australia has already seen some strong words between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions

Events

14 h. ago Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt rejects Lions’ demands as player release row rumbles on

The Lions have demanded that the Australia coach release more of his squad to feature in the tour games ahead of the three-Test series

Economics

17 h. ago Finn Russell identified as Lions’ ‘danger man’ ahead of clash with Western Force

Kurtley Beale sees Ikitau and Suaali as keys to Wallabies’ hopesAustralia back says he learned from infamous slip in 2013 seriesFormer Wallabies back Kurtley Beale has singled out Finn Russell as the biggest threat to Australia’s prospects of victory against the visiting British & Irish Lions. Beale, a leading figure in the 2013 Lions series, has also warned his compatriots to brace themselves for a “juggernaut” of a rugby experience when the tour kicks off this Saturday.Beale’s infamous slip as he went to kick a potential match-clinching penalty in the first Test in Brisbane had a key bearing on the outcome 12 years ago. But the 36-year-old now believes Russell holds the key to the forthcoming series. Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Kurtley Beale picks out Lions’ ‘danger man’ Russell as biggest threat to Australia

Former Wallaby sees Ikitau and Suaali as hosts’ keysAustralia back says he learned from slip in 2013 seriesThe former Wallabies back Kurtley Beale has singled out Finn Russell as the biggest threat to Australia’s prospects of victory against the visiting British & Irish Lions. Beale, a leading figure in the 2013 Lions series, has also warned his compatriots to brace themselves for a “juggernaut” of a rugby experience when the tour kicks off this Saturday.Beale’s infamous slip as he went to kick a potential match-clinching penalty in the first Test in Brisbane had a key bearing on the outcome 12 years ago. But the 36-year-old now believes Russell holds the key to the forthcoming series. Continue reading...

Events

17 h. ago Beale picks out Lions’ ‘danger man’ Russell as biggest threat to Australia

Former Wallaby sees Ikitau and Suaali as hosts’ keysAustralia back says he learned from slip in 2013 seriesThe former Wallabies back Kurtley Beale has singled out Finn Russell as the biggest threat to Australia’s prospects of victory against the visiting British & Irish Lions. Beale, a leading figure in the 2013 Lions series, has also warned his compatriots to brace themselves for a “juggernaut” of a rugby experience when the tour kicks off this Saturday.Beale’s infamous slip as he went to kick a potential match-clinching penalty in the first Test in Brisbane had a key bearing on the outcome 12 years ago. And the 36-year-old now believes Russell holds the key to the forthcoming series. Continue reading...

Events

29 h. ago Ollie Chessum warns Lions against complacency on Australia tour

Andy Farrell’s men face Western Force in Perth on Saturday in the first fixture Down Under.

Events

29 h. ago SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Australia head coach Joe Schmidt is playing mind games... but this is why it would be a huge mistake to keep his Wallaby stars out of the Lions warm

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: No one wins if Australia choose not to release their best players to feature in the warm-up matches of the British & Irish Lions tour.

Sport

32 h. ago Lions warn Joe Schmidt over Wallabies player release for tour matches

Ben Calveley expects competitive Force side to face LionsTour could open up to other countries such as FranceEvery big tour is a hectic learning curve as the 2025 British & Irish Lions are already finding. The squad had to call off their post-arrival recovery dip in the Pacific Ocean – a letdown both for local news crews and the lurking sharks off Cottesloe beach – because of inclement weather and the first media squall of the trip has also blown in.The Lions chief executive, Ben Calveley, has made clear the touring side expect the Wallabies head coach, Joe Schmidt, to make his national players available for their Super Rugby teams before the Test series commencing next month and the host nation has been gently reminded of that contractual detail following the Lions’ arrival in Australia. Continue reading...

Events

33 h. ago British and Irish Lions send 'very clear' Australia warning over releasing Test stars for tour matches

Chief executive Ben Calveley reminds Wallabies and Joe Schmidt of contractual obligations ahead of games against Super Rugby opposition

Events

37 h. ago British and Irish Lions warn Wallabies over breach of contract on arrival in Australia

The British and Irish Lions have warned Australia that they will be in breach of contract if they do not release their Test stars for all tour games against Super Rugby teams

Events

37 h. ago British and Irish Lions warn Wallabies they must release players for tour games

Only a handful of Australia stars are currently in line to feature for their club sides ahead of the Test series

Events

39 h. ago Andy Farrell’s Lions land in Australia aiming to revive the spirit of Sydney

Chest-thumping speech before the 2013 series decider is part of Lions lore and can be the head coach’s mantra for his 2025 touristsThe logistics involved in touring Australia with the British & Irish Lions have changed slightly over the years. On the first Lions tour in 1888 the 22 selected players were away from home for 249 days and, in addition to 35 games of rugby, were also required to play 19 games of what we now know as Australian rules football.It took 46 days by boat to reach their destination and attempts to hone their skills on the SS Kaikoura had to be abandoned after all the squad’s rugby balls disappeared over the side. The ship, as chronicled in the beautifully updated official history of the Lions, even had 300 stoats and weasels on board as part of a plan to deal with the rabbit population in New Zealand, their first port of call, where they played nine matches. Continue reading...

Politics

40 h. ago Today's rugby news as Lions land with two problems and warning of 'public punishment'

The latest headlines as the British & Irish Lions arrive in Australia

Events